With the expansion to various simultaneous devices that WhatsApp is offering on its platform, the company, owned by Meta, took the opportunity to expand instant messaging to smart watches with Wear OS. Independently: Now you only need the smartwatch to
If you are one of those who is used to doing sports and you go out with only your watch, you may be somewhat uncertain about any important message you may receive during exercise. With a smartwatch compatible with mobile networks, this is solved, especially when WhatsApp enables users to standalone mode on the watch. It’s still experimental, but there is a not very complicated way to try it on Wear OS. It represents a great advance in the versatility of these devices.
WhatsApp becomes independent on the clock
In
I thought it was an essential app despite the fact that it is still being tested: WhatsApp transfers the versatility of its new multi-device function to bring communication to a accessory increasingly independent of the phone. The new app for Wear OS allows you to chat from the watch whether or not the mobile is nearby. And in most of what concerns messaging and voice notes.
It is not necessary to receive notification from a person to
WhatsApp on Wear OS allows in
In my experience, these are the advantages of standalone WhatsApp on the watch:
- I don’t need to carry my mobile nor receive notifications for in
Settings and paired device on mobile
Although the advantages make me get much more out of my smartwatch now, I also discovered several drawbacks. These were the most frustrating:
- I can’t open new chats, just stick to existing ones. The app on the watch provides access to all open conversations on the phone, but new ones cannot be created.
- Calls stay out. Being able to call directly from the watch is something I missed a lot: voice notes fall short.
- Battery drain increases. The watch app consumes more battery than notifications, so Wear OS battery life is reduced. WhatsApp became what spends the most battery on me after the screen. In rough numbers, I’d say keep the app reduces between 10 and 15% autonomyalways depending on the number of conversations you have and how active they are.
Pairing and working with WhatsApp on a Wear OS watch
It’s not that Wear OS is inherently very efficient, any app active in the background tends to spur consumption. And WhatsApp is the perfect example; although I still have to give it some leeway for criticism: the Wear OS app is currently in beta. We’ll see what happens when it’s available to everyone: it’s a remarkable leap forward in the autonomous capabilities of smartwatches.
In Xataka Android | Telegram gave up on its Wear OS app
